Bullet-Nose Styling

The P-38 prowls the highway, courtesy of Studebaker

Feature Article from Hemmings Motor News

Design inspiration usually seems to be monkey see, monkey do. This tactic was used by the automotive industry following World War II; some more than others. Raymond Loewy's design team at Studebaker took it to an extreme that was completely radical for the day.
The P-38 was far different from any other fighter plane to roll off the assembly line just prior to our involvement in World War II. With its superior range, handling, and weaponry, it performed in all theater operations admirably. Aircraft-inspired designs were slow to hit the truly new models well after the initial re-release of pre-war molds.
Looking for something strikingly different, Loewy directed his team to look at the P-38 for inspiration: Earlier rejected by management as being too radical, it was later approved for the upcoming 1950 models to update the body. Rather than focus their attention on the aft end of the fighter, the forward end was the recipient of the design team's admiration. The P-38's short, center fuselage centered on the seemingly single wing was flanked on each side by a single engine contained within their own full-length fuselage; the center, with the single pilot, slightly forward of the twin powerplants.
According to Loewy, during the 1950 Studebaker's introduction, "We aimed for the light, fast impression of an airplane. If we could give our cars a feeling of motion and speed, we'd have succeeded in going directly against the current trend. What better way to do it than to peel the car away from the front of the hood? The car now cuts its way through the air like an airplane."
It's easy to see when looking at the two icons side-by-side. The front fenders, having been pulled forward from the hood, each contain a headlamp--where the P-38 propellers would be located--with smaller parking lamps underneath, mirroring where the air induction is under the engines on the aircraft. The centerpiece of the Studebaker, of course, draws the most attention to the redesign, with its chrome ring and pointed center hub, as well as both horizontal and vertical bars that suggest it's an aircraft propeller.
The overall 1951 design is slightly different and perhaps more striking, even though in profile it's basically the same vehicle as the 1950 edition. The narrower outer ring of the center hub is now painted the same color as the body. The centerpiece is slightly more rounded, coming to less of a point than the previous design. A smaller inner ring fills a void that had been present in 1950 lending to the notion of a spinning propeller. Instead of a subliminal four-blade propeller, a three-blade design adds a touch of grace and a further suggestion of speed in motion to the center hub. With the exception of the outer ring, the rest of the assembly is made of plastic.
While the graceful 1951 Studebaker, and its 1950 predecessor, were flying high in sales, the P-38-inspired Studebaker was eventually left in the automotive design hangar, but it still soars with enthusiasts and collectors of all ages.

This article originally appeared in the August, 2006 issue of Hemmings Motor News.